Feb28

Pokémon Trading Card Game Classic, a premium Pokémon TCG product for non-tournament play, announced during Pokémon Presents

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In what might be generously described as an unexpected announcement, the Pokémon Presents video presentation for Pokémon Day announced Pokémon Trading Card Game Classic, a premium Pokémon TCG product for non-tournament play centered around classic cards from the very first sets of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. In addition to classic cards, the set also features unique Ho-Oh ex, Lugia ex, and Suicune ex cards that will be exclusive to this set.

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Created as a collaboration between The Pokémon Company, Creatures Inc., and design firm nendo, the set includes 3 separate preconstructed decks centered around the Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise cards from the original Base Set, as well as a toolbox of premium gameplay accessories including card sleeves, conical shaped aluminum stackable damage counters, ring-shaped Poison and Burn markers, and a foldable game board with fabric surface that doubles as a carrying case for all of the components of the set.

All cards in the pre-constructed decks, apart from the Basic Energy cards, will not be legal for tournament play, making this set exclusively for collectors, and for fans wanting to experience the game in a form closer to what it was when it first released.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game Classic set will be released in late 2023 across select countries, though nothing has yet been stated about how much it will cost. While the fact sheet distributed with the press release on Pokémon Day stated that the set would only be available in English, the set does appear to be receiving a Japanese release as well, with a lottery system to determine who will be allowed to make an order.

The Pokémon Company are not the first to release premium versions of classic trading card game products. Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro recently suffered significant fan backlash following the release of an overpriced 30th Anniversary set that reprinted classic Magic cards such as the infamous Black Lotus in booster packs which could only be purchased in lots of 4 for $1,000 USD, leading to Bank of America analysts telling investors that Hasbro was “killing its golden goose” and "destroying the long-term value of the brand". We can only hope that The Pokémon Company are more realistic in pricing this classic set than Hasbro were.
Archaic Written by Archaic